Chapel-en-le-Frith

CHAPEL-EN-LE-FRITH, SPARROWPIT AND ENVIRONS

Distance: 9.5 miles

Difficulty: Easy

Weather: Sunny

Walkers: Colin Davison, George Dearsley, George Whaites, Lawrie Fairman, Alan Hart, Peter Beal

Apologies: Jock Rooney (Azerbaijan)

B walkers : Ken Sparrow and Geoff Spurrell

Non-walking drinkers: Frank Dudley, John Eckersley and Tony Job

Leader: Fairman   Diarist: Dearsley   Driver: Whaites

Starting Point: The Station, Chapel-en-le-Frith

Starting Time: 9.49 am. Finishing Time: 1.30pm

A glorious day for walking saw the party leave the road near Chapel station and climb a sloping path to the right of the building.

At a fork we took the right hand path and at the top turned left. On reaching the top of the hill we went left over a stone stile and turned immediately right.

At this point our leader Mr Fairman confessed to a senior moment in that he had left one of the two maps covering our route on the roof of his car.

He was offered the chance to go back down the hill to retrieve it while the rest of the group sun bathed but declined.

At this point your diarist must confess to his own senior moment, pulling two left walking boots out of his car on Tuesday as it went into the garage, leaving him with rather unconventional but nevertheless effective trainers as footwear.

We crossed a field and passed what might have been an entry for the Turner Prize but turned out, in fact, to be an air vent for a railway tunnel.

The next field presented our first real obstacle, a glowering bull. Agreed it’s not exactly like defusing IEDs in Helmand but entering a field containing such an animal takes a degree of courage.

As my picture shows we gave the beast a wide berth.

Bull

We crossed a road and passed Sittinglow Farm, turning into the farm yard and going left and left again through a metal five bar gate.

We found ourselves on a road with Platting Farm to our left. We crossed a railway bridge and joined the main Chapel to Buxton road.

                                   View from railway bridge, before the Chapel to Buxton Road

We followed the road towards Buxton into that well known beauty spot that is Dove Holes, turning left into the Dove Holes Community Association grounds to soak up the atmosphere in the legendary tourist attraction known as the Bull Ring, a Neolithic “Henge”, like Stonehenge without the stones.

So alluring was the Bull Ring that we decided it was Pie Time (10.55am).

We set off again at 11.10am turning to the left side of the Bull Ring and immediately being split up like someone starting a game of pool.

The confusion was caused by the lack of a coherent path through a rather straggly copse with some steep slopes.

But eventually the group reconvened and found itself on the old Tramway.

After about 10 minutes we took a path to the right, through what appeared to be a cattle pen, through a five bar gate and across a field.

We crossed a stile, negotiated two more five bar gates and passed a barn to our left. Pretty soon the welcome sight of the Wanted Inn pub hove into view and circumventing a netted area containing two old boars (one of the group unkindly said we already had one of our own, pointing at Mr Davison) we duly arrived at the hostelry at 12.10pm, consuming pints of Unicorn at £2.90.

The derivation of the pub’s name caused some debate. It was allegedly owned in the Fifties by the Duke of Devonshire who later decided to sell various bits of his estate.

The Duke managed to sell farms and fields but the pub stuck and duly earned the local nickname the Unwanted Inn.

Finally it was bought by the Buswell family, the parents of Neville Buswell, who played Ray Langton in Coronation Street from (21 February 1966 to 15 November 1978).

You can learn more about the pub’s history here.

But briefly the Wanted was an old farmhouse, converted in 1700 and called the Three Tuns. It became the Devonshire Arms in 1839 before the re-branding outlined above.

Another point of interest is that the pub represents a watershed, a high point at which water runs one way to the North Sea and the other to the Irish Sea.

We left the pub at 12.57pm turning right out of the front door and up the hill to the right.

This stretch was a bit whiffy, possibly through muck spreading but more likely due to blocked drains.

Luncheon in sunny Derbyshire

We passed Bennett Well and at the top of the hill turned right, crossing a stone stile and negotiating a five bar gate before stopping for lunch at 1.15pm.

With the temperature at 16 degrees it was hotter than the Azores and Bodrum in Turkey and certainly much hotter than Mr Rooney was experiencing in Baku.

We resumed our walk at 1.23pm passing Londendale Nursery and crossing the A6. We followed the A6 for a few yards before picking up a footpath to the right up a hill.

With Chapel to our right we meandered on, finally reaching the cars at 2.30pm.

A post walk drink was taken in The Lantern Pike, Little Hayfield.

B walkers (Ken Sparrow and Geoff Spurrell) walked from The Lantern Pike up Clough Lane, passing the converted mill. They went round the left shoulder of Lantern Pike and then swung right towards Matley Moor, completing a circle at Clough Mill after a walk of five miles.

The non-walking drinkers were Frank Dudley, John Eckersley and Tony Job, who gave an hilarious account of his hip operation, which was abandoned at the last moment.  He had been in pain for nine months and was dressed in a nightie and paper pants when the would-be surgeon announced that he had studied Tony's X-rays and decided an operation was unnecessary.

Instead he has been given a cortisone injection which has led to a marked improvement and Tony expects to be joining the B walkers next week.

The walk on April 4 will start at 9.30am from Bollington. We are meeting at the free public car park opposite The Spinners Arms. We intend to have refreshment around 12.15pm in The Robin Hood at Rainow, finishing at The Vale in Bollington around 2.15pm.

Sadly your diarist will be unavailable next week. Work calls again.

Marple Bridge

BRABYNS PARK HOLLINS LANE, BROWN LOW,RIVER ETHEROW,BOTHAMS HALL,IDLE HILL, HARE AND HOUNDS,FAR WOODSTEADS ANDREWS ARMS BRABYN PARK

Distance: 9 miles,( George 10) total ascent 1550 ft

Difficulty: Moderate

Weather: Dry, overcast mild; later sunny

Walkers:  Colin Davison, Laurie Fairman, George Whaites

Apologies: Alan Hart (assignment in Cyprus), Geoff Spurrell (hols), Ken Sparrow (hols)

Tony Job (hip op), George Dearsley (work) Peter Beal (hols)

Leader: Fairman. Driver: Whaites. Diarist: Beal

Starting point: Brabyns park

Starting time: 9.35am. Finishing time: 3.06pm

The most remarkable thing about this walk was the weird nature of  the way we lost articles of clothing – read on

As last week the 3^rd acting diarist must apologise for any lack of detail in route description. This is down to the fact that  a) he was appointed by default b) he did not have a pen, paper but he did have a map of part of the route

Down to 3 walkers we set off from the car park at Brabyns Park in fine style at 0930 straight up the hill of Hollins to Mill Brow- quite steep climb for first steps. We followed the road around the hill and then turned left up Grid Lane a rough bridle track which took us Sandhill Lane. Here we crossed the road and followed a good straight path through high pasture complete with early lambs several still with umbilical cords showing.

The path passed Brown Low a Bronze Age bowl barrow which when excavated revealed cremated bones but no treasure.

The path is well marked and runs in straight line for about 2km to Sandy Lane which brought us to the A626.  We crossed this and followed the transpennine route to Far Woodseats and eventually the bridge over the R Etherow, here we stopped (at 11.05) for a brew.

Crossing the river brought us to Botham’s Hall whish now has 2 gorillas in the garden and 3 Kune  Kune New Zealand pigs in the paddock they look very cute – wonder what they taste like? We followed the path up lovely valley alive with birds until we reached the top of Idle Hill. The clear weather gave us spectacular views over the plains as far as the Clwydian Hills on one side Kinder, South Head etc behind us.

Forsaking the route to the monument we headed for the Hare and Hounds where a couple of pints of Black Sheep were enjoyed despite the 290p price (each).

We left the pub at 1.10pm back tracked a few meters and turned left for Near Cloughside where the haunting occurred. Along this track, for some reason the zips on both mine and George’s rucksacks were undone I lost my anorak and George his new fleece. Fortunately Colin (god bless him) spotted mine and retrieved it but Gorges’ loss was not discovered until about ½ mile further down when we stopped for lunch.

Not wanting to climb all the way back George appeared to be resigned to the loss of his fleece but help was at hand and we spotted two walkers following the same route so we waited for them to catch up. They had picked up the fleece and hung it on the fence. George then could see the object and set out up the steep hill ½ mile up and ½ mile down to retrieve it...

The path took us to the top of the road above the Andrew’s Arms so the decision was taken to another pint(285p) here and forget the Royal Scot as it was now 3pm.

The rest of the walk to the cars took about 20mins – an eventful day!

Next week we will attempt to find if the Wanted Inn is open, so will start at Chapel Station at 9.40am and finish at the Cock in Whaley at about 2.30pm

    

Disley

DISLEY, DISLEY GOLF COURSE, TURF LEA FARM, THE ROMPER, ROMAN BRIDGE, TARDEN, MELLOR MOOR, THE FOX AT BROOK BOTTOM, STRINES, PEAK FOREST CANAL, THE WHITE HORSE AT DISLEY

Distance: 9 miles, total ascent 1450 ft

Difficulty: Easy

Weather: Dry, mild and misty at first; later sunny

Walkers: Peter Beal, Colin Davison, Laurie Fairman, George Whaites

Apologies: Alan Hart (assignment in Cyprus), Geoff Spurrell (hols), Ken Sparrow (hols)

Tony Job (hip op), George Dearsley (work)

Leader: Fairman. Driver: Whaites. Diarist: Beal

Starting point: Disley Station car park.

Starting time: 9.35am. Finishing time: 2.06pm

After last week’s aborted walk because of the weather  today’s conditions were positively Spring-like, despite early mist that eventually gave way to sunshine. Unusually, due to a combination of circumstances, there were no B-walkers and not a sign of non-walking drinkers.

So it was a small but select band that set out from the car park at Disley, where confusion still surrounds exactly where the Rams Head parking, the public car parking and the station car parking start and finish. A certain amount of improvisation surrounded our walk, with an almost unheralded consultation of maps (yes, those papery things with squiggly lines on them) but – perhaps unusually – not once did we go astray.

At this stage your acting diarist must apologise for any lack of detail in route description. This is down to the fact that  a) he was appointed at the very last minute and b) he did not have a pen, paper, or indeed a map.

We struck out up Jackson’s Edge Road and turned right into Disley Golf Course, heading towards the clubhouse. We crossed the fairways and emerged at the large chimney that might, or might not be, the air shaft for the Disley rail tunnel.

We descended towards Turf Lea Farm and the corner of a field that was such a quagmire that some members of the party even suggested beating a retreat and seeking an alternative route. Not to be deterred we ploughed on through the ankle-deep muck and eventually reached terra firma and  Wybersley Road.

Turning right we passed The Romper pub and dropped down towards the Peak Forest canal, brimming with water despite the dire warnings of biblical drought in the South of England.

Here, Colin invited us to speculate on the purpose of a puzzling and elaborate brick tunnel entrance at the foot of a substantial disused quarry next to the house just above the canal at Rawton Walls Bridge. Puzzled we will remain, as brief research has shed no light on this structure.

We crossed the bridge and dropped down on a track to bring us to the New Mills-Marple road and crossed it to descend to the Roman Bridge across the River Goyt. Disappointingly, this has nothing to do with the Romans. It is in fact a 17^th century packhorse bridge given its name 200 years later, along with the nearby Roman Lakes, to appeal to the townies from Manchester who came by train to the area.

We followed briefly the track towards the Roman Lakes before branching right uphill on a path that took us across the green metal bridge over the New Mills Central to Manchester railway line, which in this area is reputedly the inspiration for the Railway Children.

This led us on to the Mellor and Townscliffe golf course, where we paused at an outrageously early 10.40am for pies and port  – except we had no pies and no port either.

Nevertheless, the Club Captain had provided a handy bench next to the par three, 178-yard 14^th tee on the hole named Oldknow’s Seat – presumably in honour of Samuel of that name, the mill-owner and canal-builder who fashioned much of the industrial architecture hereabouts.

We continued along the side of the course with Windybottom Wood (please insert own smutty childish joke here) on our right. In the past we have been known to provoke the ire of members by trespassing across uncharted areas of their hallowed turf, but today we struck legally right, across three fairways, following the footpath taking us towards the Linnet Clough Scout Camp.

Fearing that if we bore right along the track we would arrive at The Fox at Broadbottom at an embarrassingly early hour we continued up the lane from the golf club house to the hamlet of Tarden and the junction with Whetmorhurst Road, which we followed steeply uphill with the large Cobden Cross visible on the skyline ahead of us.

The Cross – standing on Soldiers’s Nob (insert next smutty childish joke) – has been used over the years as a site of a beacon for Coronations and other royal occasions. The name Paradise was given to this area by the preacher John Wesley, who clearly didn’t get out enough.

At the lane end we reached Moorside Cottage, where Colin and Laurie pounced on duck and hen eggs on the wall outside being offered at the ridiculously cheap price of £1 for half a dozen.

A quick turn left and then immediately right took us uphill onto Mellor Moor over a series of stiles.

Trouble soon loomed as we found ourselves in a field of bullocks and heifers, with at the top of the field an extremely large bull, standing glowering around three feet from the stile where we needed to make our exit.

The rest of the party mysteriously fell back – Colin and Laurie probably fearing for their duck eggs – leaving George to confront the fearsome beast, which thankfully remained motionless as we tiptoed past him.

Colin bravely urged our then leader on with the encouraging words: “We’re right behind you George.”

As we entered the next but one field Laurie very unkindly suggested that Colin might this time take the lead as it was full of a flock of less than threatening sheep.

We dropped down to Black Lane a few hundred yards east of Cobden Cross and turned left up to its junction with Primrose Lane before striking right along a footpath to take us down to Shaw Farm and down the valley to The Fox at Brook Bottom, where we enjoyed the well-kept Unicorn bitter at £2-60 a pint.

Leaving the pub, we took the track down the side of the valley, past Strines station and the mill ponds on Station Road, to cross the New-Mills-Marple road for a second time and continue up the track towards the Peak Forest canal. At the bench just before a line of cottages we took lunch and then carried on to the canal, where we bore left towards New Mills.

We crossed the lift bridge over the canal and followed the lane up to Disley, where after debooting we repaired to the White Horse for a very friendly welcome from the charming barmaid and more Unicorn bitter (again £2.60). Our only criticism – why will they lay every table out for dining, leaving none for the drinkers?

Next week’s walk will start from the car park at Brabyn’s Park, Marple Bridge at 9.30am, finishing at the Royal Scott, Marple Bridge, with en-route refreshments at the

Hare and Hounds, Werneth Low, at 12ish.

Apologies in advance from Alan Hart (assignment in Cyprus) and Peter Beal (walking on La Palma).